The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a container assembly and a containing method for a biological graft. The container assembly is configured to be used for storage and/or transportation of a biological graft having cells that are derived from a biological body.
In recent years, in connection with therapy of different organ and tissue diseases, and in particular with respect to myocardial infarction or the like, there has been widely known a therapeutic method in which a sheet-shaped cell culture product is obtained by cultivating a patient's own cells to form a tissue for transplant back to the patient (i.e., an autograft procedure). In general, this kind of cell culture product is sometimes called a “cell sheet.” For the cultivated cell sheet to be preserved for transplantation to a patient, it is beneficial for the cell sheet to be contained in a predetermined container filled with a storage solution such as a physiological saline, and to be stored in this state and to be transported to a medical institution or the like in this state. Of course, such methods and apparatus can also be used for allograft type procedures.
In view of this, it may be contemplated to utilize a container assembly as described in Japanese Patent No. 4213588, for transportation of such a cell sheet. The container assembly includes a container capable of containing a reagent, and a sample holder which is disposed in the container and is capable of containing a biological sample therein. The sample holder is provided with a fluid opening section, through which the sample can be moved between the inside and the outside of the sample holder.
However, the cell sheet is fragile because of its very small thickness. In the case of using a container assembly, therefore, vibrations during transportation may be transmitted to the cell sheet through the storage solution resulting in collapse or breakage of the cell sheet, since the cell sheet is suspended only in the storage solution. Specifically, when the storage solution is shaken by vibrations applied to the container, liquid flow, such as waves, of the storage solution is generated, and shearing forces and/or tensile forces are exerted on the cell sheet. Therefore, there has been a long standing need for determining a way of preventing vibrations from being transmitted to the cell sheet.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-335950 discloses a storage/transportation container having a configuration in which a membrane-shaped tissue is held by clamping the tissue with a liquid-permeable support from both sides thereof. The assembly is contained in a container together with a predetermined storage solution, while being kept in a wet state. In the case where the storage/transportation container is used for storage and/or transportation of a cell sheet, however, the cell sheet may be broken at the time of holding the cell sheet with the support, since the cell sheet is clamped from both sides thereof by the support which makes direct contact with the cell sheet.